Not all marble marvels are the Taj Mahal, not all are built by humans either. But that doesn't mean they're any less awe-inspiring to behold. The Marble Rocks of Bhedaghat are exactly that. There is no delicate symmetry, intricate calligraphy and paradise gardens here, just a gorge and the Narmada flowing languidly through it. But that's all you'll need to be floored. It didn’t start well though…
From where our car dropped us, we couldn't see anything much but shops. Down a flight of shabby stairs to the riverbank and an even shabbier jetty - our hearts were sinking fast. There was no other way to enjoy the rocks than by the row boats anchored here, but the boats were old, rickety, crowded and as safety compliant as a rusted needle. To be fair, we did have the option of paying more and getting the whole boat for the four of us, rather than 15-20 crammed into one - but the extra money was still for the same boat.
So having squeezed
ourselves into already full one that was called back to the jetty to fit us (!)
we started the hour long ride through the 3km long gorge, very unsure of what
to expect - but nature isn't a badly managed boat service, is it?
The marble rocks
have been carved into jagged, uneven,
and also soft shapes over time by the Narmada river. It's a slow seduction that
this setting plays on you. Near the start, the rocks are mostly brown. Then
they start transforming into lighter shades, more enigmatic formations, making
the path ahead look narrower as they tower higher and higher.
Each boat comes with
an oarsman and a guide, and what the boat lacked in terms of everything else,
it made up with the guide - he was a complete delight and gave the entire
commentary in rhyme scheme! You may not have heard much about the rocks, but
Bollywood certainly has and Ganesh the Guide didn't skip on the juicy details!
Right from, 'Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai', to 'Bobby', 'Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye' and 'Khoon Bhari Maang' - to the more recent Asoka (2001), Mahabharat
(2013), and Mohenjo Daro (2016), Bhedaghat has seen its fair share of glamour!
Then, it was time
for the river and the rocks to do their own narration. Ganesh undid the canopy
of the boat and let us revel in the wondrousness of it all. I delete adjectives
constantly as I write this, because it was something new to me, so elegant, so
beautiful, so serene - an other-wordly sight. The waters were completely still,
the oarsmen had stopped. In their stillness, they mirrored the whiteness all
around. To me the effect was hauntingly beautiful, almost glacier-like; the
rocks looking like compressed sheets of ice melting into the river. I was
thankful that no one, Ganesh included, hurried us out of here. You want to let
every inch of it sink in.
This was end of the
line from where the boats returned to the jetty. The oarsman finally gave in to
my friend's cajoling and let him try his hand at rowing (not the best idea, it
was evident soon enough). If you have a rather morbid sense of entertainment,
there are groups of local teenagers who
may a quick buck by diving dangerously off the cliffs into the river - for the
paying tourist (believe me, people pay!) As we got off, Ganesh ended his
commentary by asking us to keep remembering him - I don't think we'll forget
him or the rocks any time soon.
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Cheers!
Rohan
Almost lyrical !
ReplyDeleteIt is always a delight to read your narrative about a place..
ReplyDelete